Safety is a major concern of users of automatic garage doors. Children and others have been injured by aggressive automatic garage doors. Since April 1982 Federal law has required that a closing garage door that is operated by an automatic opener must reverse off of a two-inch block. However, even with the safety improvements resulting from the April 1982 legislation, injuries continue to occur and safety is still an issue. Therefore, a new law as of Jan. 1, 1993 requires that a garage door opener must be equipped with a monitored non-contact safety reversing device or safety edge, which will automatically stop and reverse a closing garage door. The law also requires that, if these sensors become inoperative, the opener will not function.
One type of safety device is an electronic beam sensor which is installed at either side of the door opening which, when broken, will cause the door to stop and reverse itself. The photoelectric sensors are typically mounted about 5 to 6 inches off the floor on both sides of a garage door. These sensors operate with a garage door opener and send an invisible beam across the door opening. If that beam is broken while a motorized door is closing, the garage door opener will cause the door to reverse direction to the fully open position.
Another type of safety device is a pressure-sensitive electronic rubber strip, which attaches to the bottom of the door where it makes contact with the floor. When this sensor contacts an obstruction during the closing of the door, the opener will cause the door to reverse direction to the fully open position.
Just as with the beam sensor, when engaged, this safety edge will cause the door to stop and reverse itself avoiding injury or damage to property. However, the safety systems require periodic maintenance and adjustment. In particular, the pressure-sensitive system with age and use will develop false responses and failures.
Therefore there is a need to provide a simple easy to use edge sensor which reduces false responses and system failures.